Hitching device



(No Model.)

A. H. WILSON. HITGHING DEVICE.

Na. 439,285. Patentd 001;. 28. 1890.

61/ $513 Z2 6' abiomu o rm: mums PETERS $0., wovvwmm, msmwcvou, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRETV H. WILSON, OF SOUTH VINELAND, NEXV JERSEY.

HITCHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,285, dated October 28, 1890. Application filed February 4, 1890. Serial No. 339,129. (No model.)

T0" a,ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Vin'eland, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Halter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to halters, more particularly of that class which are composed of one of the driving-reins provided with devices which adapt it to be used as a hitching-strap; and the invention consists of a ring loosely embracing the body of the rein, a springcatch secured upon the outer face ofthe rein, and a strap connected to the tongue of the catch and to the rein, the whole adapted for use substantially as hereinafter described.

The invention further consists of certain necessary details of construction and arrangement of parts serving to carry out the general idea, all as also hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure'l is a general view of myiinproved device in position upon the harness. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rein in its distended condition. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing it as used as a hitching-strap, and Fig. 4. is an enlarged horizontal section through the spring-catch.

The letter R designates one of the drivingreins of a harness, having the usual eye or ring r at its end, which is engaged with the bit, as will be readily understood. Upon the body of this rein is loosely mounted a metallic ring M, which is preferably of the shape and relative size shown. In rear of this ring M is rigidly secured to the outer face of the rein at a point where it will not interfere with the guide eyes or rings on the saddle of the bar ness a spring-catch, as best illustrated in Fig. 4. This catch consists of an outwardlyrounded body 0, having a forwardly-inclined recess a near its front end nearly as deep as the thickness of said body, and within a longitudinal hole in the body is located atongue T, whose rear portion is reduced, thereby forming a shoulder 25. Coiled upon the reduced end of the tongue is a spiral spring S, whose rear end abuts against a shoulder H within and at the rear end of the hole in the body, whereby the tongue is projected nor mally forward, as shown, and its larger end stands normally across the recess 0 in the body. A small strap A is connected to the outer face of the rein at a point alittle in rear of the catch 0, and its forward end passes through an eye or loop a in the rear end of the tongue, and is secured by a buckle B to its own body, whereby the length of this strap may be adjusted at will. Under all ordinary conditions the rein R is used in amannerprecisely similar to the other rein, and when it is drawn tight the springS is compressed and the tension on the strap Arelaxed to such an extent that the rein itself is distended and may be used in the ordinary manner. When, however, the driver reaches a hitching-post and desires to hitch his horse so as to be able to leave him, he descends from the carriage or wagon, draws the rein R forward until it is slack, passes the catch around the post P, and engages the ring M behind the tongue T by manually retracting said tongue. In this position of parts, as best illustrated in Fig. 3,

. the more the animal draws upon the hitchingstrap thus formed the tighter the loop thereof will be drawn upon the post. The forward end F of the catch is preferably beveled or rounded, as shown, for the purpose of fitting more closely to the hitching-post, which is generally cylindrical.

Now, suppose the driver to be in a great hurry, either from his engagements, if he be a doctor, for instance, or from any other cause, or suppose that he returns and enters his carriage forgetting to unhitch the horse. Heretofore his only course: was to descend again and unhitch in the ordinary manner; but my present invention avoids that trouble. The driver being seated in the carriage, a sharp pull upon the rein R turns the loop which embraces the post, so that the rear end of the catch 0 stands toward the driver, especially if the horse be first driven forward so that his head will pass the post a trifle, as shown in Fig. 1, and another sharp pull upon said rein imparts a tension to the strap A, retracts the tongue T, and releases the ring M. The rein is then drawn tight, the horse backed up a little, the carriage cramped, and the team driven away, all without the necessity of the driver going near the horses head at all.

It will be evident that this device is especially useful to fire-engine drivers or chiefs, where the horse is to be unhitched in a great hurry, or to persons driving horses which are given to biting, as the driver is relieved of one of the two trips to the horses head heretofore necessary.

I claim as the salient points of my invention 1. The herein-described hitching device, consisting of a driving-rein, a hitching-ring upon the same, and a catch upon the rein, said hitching-ring being normally detached from and independent of the catch, and loosely mounted and adapted to slide upon the rein, substantially as specified.

2, Ahitchingdevice composed of a drivingrein R, a loose ring M upon the same, acatch C, secured to the outer face of said rein in rear of said ring, and having a recess a, a longitudinal tongue T within said catch, a spring pressing said tongue normally forward across said recess, and a strap A, connecting the rear end of said tongue with the rein in rear of the catch, the whole adapted to operate substantially as described.

rein, and the strap A, secured to the rein,

looped and buckled to itself at B, with the semicylindrical catch 0 secured to the outer face of the rein forward of said strap, and provided with a forwardly-inclined recess 0 and a beveled front end F, said catch having a longitudinal opening through its body with a shoulder H at its rear end, of the tongue T, reciprocating in said opening and provided with the shoulder 25, a ring a at the rear end of the tongue loosely embracing the loop in the strap A, and a coiled spring S, surrounding the body of the tongue between said two shoulders, all substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim theforegoing' as my own I have hereto affixed my signaturein presence oftwo witnesses,

ANDREW I-I. WILSON \Vitnesses:

JOHN MAoPHERsoN, GEORGE HOUSE. 

